Hojo vs Naraku
by ShadowHeart
Summary: (Complete)To protect Inuyasha from Naraku, Kagome has paid the ultimate price. Her death plunges everyone close to her into grief, but one of these people has a plan to bring her back.
1. Truth

**Chapter 1: Truth**

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            I would like to start by setting the record straight about me.  First of all, I am not a fool, nor am I naïve.  You think that I am, but this was merely a ploy.  I knew all about Kagome's situation from almost the very beginning.  However, I said nothing, because I made a promise not to.  The fact is, however, that I knew what Kagome was doing when she wasn't at school.  I knew that she did not have gout, or neuritis, or Asian flu, or any of that silly old man's myriad of excuses.  I _knew about the mysterious power of the well, about Sengoku Jidai, about Inuyasha.  _

            I began to learn of all this one day when I went to deliver a gift to her at her home, the Higurashi Shrine.   I delivered the item to her grandfather and made to leave.  On the way out, however, I saw her, Kagome, step from the well house.  I was perplexed, since she seemed to be carrying enough things to last for several days.  I didn't know why at the time, but I was starting to become curious.  It was by luck that I came back at a later time, the exact time that Kagome was heading to the well house.  Again she was carrying a large pack.  At this time, I was still in the dark to the real story, thus I briefly thought that this had something to do with one of her 'diseases'.  It was night at this time, and I was hiding in the shadows of some nearby bushes.  From my vantage point, I saw her step inside, and heard footsteps as she began to walk down the stairs.  At this point, I crept silently to the door.  What I saw shocked me beyond belief!  Kagome leapt into the well, which must have been at least ten feet deep, and disappeared in a flash of strange-colored light!  I ran to the well and looked down into it, but saw only darkness_.  What was going on here?_

My heart was beating wildly in my chest.  What had just happened?  I was frozen there in wonder, millions of thoughts exploding through my brain, when Mrs. Higurashi appeared at the top of the stairs.  She simply looked at me and said "Hello, Hojo."  I was stunned.   I ran up the stairs to her and began asking a million questions at a feverish pace.

            "Be calm," she said, "now sit down here and I will explain."  She took a deep breath and looked down at the well.  "A couple of weeks ago, Kagome was on her way to school when something happened.  Her cat had disappeared into the well house and she went with her little brother to find it.  That's when a monster appeared and pulled her into the well, and back through time.  She was missing for three days, until she simply appeared one day, wearing outdated clothing she could not have possibly gotten from here.  She told us she had been to the Feudal times of ancient Japan.  Naturally, such a thing was hard to believe, but Kagome does not run off, nor does she lie.  So we believed her, and ever since then we have supported her in her quest."

            "Why does she keep going back?" I asked.  In response, she told me all about the Shikon No Tama, and how it was shattered by Kagome.  She told me about the demons she had fought, and the one she fought _with_.  That was the first time I heard the name Inuyasha. 

            "So this is why she doesn't come to school sometimes?"

            "Yes, she has taken it upon herself to fix the problem she was partially responsible for.  And she won't stop until everything is resolved."  With this, I thanked her and turned to leave when she stopped me.  "One more thing, you must not tell anyone about this, and you must not tell Kagome that I told you."  

            "I won't, Mrs. Higurashi."

            Oh, how I wish the cost was not so great!  Kagome continued to go to the Feudal Ages, and I continued to watch her from afar.  I gave her gifts and asked her on dates to show I cared, since I could not simply come out and tell her what I knew.  As you can tell, I love her, and the only thing I was trying to do was bring her some measure of peace.  

            It was later that I learned of her love for Inuyasha, and my heart nearly broke.  I wanted her so badly that she was all I thought about.  I talked to her mother often, and she gave me updates as to what was going on in the Feudal times.  Everything I know, I learned from her.

            Even now, as I sit in this gloomy basement lab, I am thinking of another day.  The day of Mrs. Higurashi's final update.  The day I learned that Kagome had died.

            As soon as I heard this, I went into downtown Tokyo.  I climbed to the top of a twenty-three story building, where I planned to throw myself off.  If someone like Kagome can be killed so easily, what right do I have to live?  But  I didn't do it.  I remembered something, something very important, and that is why I am here now.  That is how my plan was hatched.

            Kagome died defending Inuyasha against a demon named Naraku, the bastard that was causing all the trouble in the Feudal times.  Inuyasha had been rendered unconscious, and Kagome tried to hold Naraku off with purifying arrows, but his two daughters kept preventing the arrows from reaching them.  Kanna, using her mirror, either absorbed or deflected them, and Kagura created windstorms to push them off course.  Naraku then surrounded Kagome in a miasma, which no one could stop.  Inhaling the deadly gas, her heart stopped, and she was gone.

            Inuyasha then woke up and, consumed with rage, managed to drive Naraku off.  But the fool had still failed!  Naraku survived, but Kagome was no more. 

 Together, her friends brought her body back to her own time, where she was cremated and given a proper funeral.  I was there, at the Higurashi Shrine where she was interred, and I have never seen so much sadness.  So many people were there: family, friends, neighbors, even people who barely knew her.  I never knew how many lives she had touched.  I also met the ones who fought with her in the Feudal Era; Shippo, Miroku, and Sango.  Inuyasha left before I could talk with him.  I reminisced with them about Kagome, such as the kind of person she was and the experiences I had with her in this time.  I don't think they knew my feelings for her, but simply thought I was a friend.  My conversation was not merely idle banter; I had a purpose: information.

I found what I was looking for from the Buddhist monk called Miroku.  I found him sitting outside, in the shade of the Sacred Tree, facing Kagome's grave marker.

"Miroku-sama," I said, "Could you tell me about this man called Naraku?"  His eyes were haunted as he answered.  I could tell he cared very deeply for Kagome and mourned her loss.

"Naraku is not a man.  He is a demon.  His two daughters are only offshoots of his body.  He is pure evil, living off the pain and suffering of human and demon alike.  He has turned lover against lover, brother against sister, demon against demon.  It was he who cursed me with this."  He held up his right hand, covered in a violet cloth and a rosary of prayer beads.  I knew this to be his Kazaana, his Air-Void, the thing that would one day swallow his body as it had swallowed his father's and his grandfather's. 

"Is he powerful?"

"Yes, extremely, for he is made up of one thousand demons that he can send out at will.  He can change his shape and take the form of anyone or anything that he likes.  He is devious, and sets traps to lure the unwary.  He also uses Shikon shards to control demons, which he then sends to attack his enemies.  He controls humans as well, and has even sent Sango's younger brother to attack us."

"Where did this Naraku come from?"

"He was born from a man, a thief, named Onigumo, in the Feudal times fifty years before Kagome's arrival.  This thief was badly wounded and blistered with burns, and it was not known where he came from, but he was found by a priestess named Kikyo, who tried to care for him.  She brought him to a cave near her village, where she fed him, tended his wounds, and tried to heal him the best she could.  In the end though, it was determined that Onigumo would never recover, and that he would never walk out of that cave.  At the same time, Kikyo had met Inuyasha, and was trying to make him human using the power of the Shikon No Tama.  

They set a date to meet, but when Kikyo went to find Inuyasha, she was ambushed and fatally wounded, and the jewel was taken by Inuyasha.  However, this was not the real Inuaysha, but Naraku in disguise."

"Wait, what happened to Onigumo?"

"He became Naraku.  Onigumo's soul was eaten by one thousand demons, and he himself became a demon; one of the most powerful that has ever lived."  We were silent for several minutes as I sought to digest everything I had just heard.  

Naraku, born from a human?  Interesting…This means that he has or, rather, _had_ a weakness.  He was once human _and_ disabled.

As I thought about what Miroku had said I came to one conclusion: Naraku was the one responsible for Kagome's trip to the past.  If he hadn't caused Kikyo to die and take the Shikon No Tama with her, then it wouldn't have shown up inside Kagome's body in the present time.  If that hadn't happened, then she wouldn't have been pulled down the well by the monster and would still be alive today.  Also, she would never have met Inuyasha, and thus never would have fallen in love with him.  But _that doesn't matter.  All that does matter is that Kagome would be alive today if Naraku had never been born, and caused Inuyasha and Kikyo to fight each other._

I said a quick goodbye to Miroku, walked through the house and said goodbye to everyone else, then left.  No longer do I want to die, but rather, to live.  For I have work to do, and plans to make.  I'm going to do the impossible: I'm going to bring Kagome back to life, no matter what the cost! 


	2. Grandpa

Author Request:  If you want any questions about Hojo answered or things about his personality revealed or clarified, put them in the review and they just might come up in later chapters.  Thank you.

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**Chapter Two: Grandpa**

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            My feet, charged with purpose, carried me through the city of Tokyo to my destination.   That destination was my grandfather's house, or more specifically his basement lab, where I now sit.  His house is situated in one of the more upper-class residential neighborhoods of the city and is one of the strangest in existence.  Built from an old pagoda temple, it stands four stories high, a crimson monolith against the azure sky.  Ancient ceremonial masks and gongs hang from various places along the elaborate balconies.  Throughout the house are a variety of old weapons and other artifacts, all from the feudal era.  Despite these outward appearances though, the house hides a fully operational physics lab, where my grandfather conducts his experiments. 

            "Hello, Grandfather."  I said, walking through the door.

            "Hojo, my boy, what brings you here?"  He said warmly.  Of all my relatives in the world, I care about him most.  It shames me that I don't visit here that often, since he has no one to talk to now that Grandma, his wife for over fifty years, is dead.  She died only a year and a half ago of a cancer.  The gaunt, vibrant, old man recovered quickly though, diving back into his projects with renewed vigor, and somehow came to terms with her loss.  I should ask him how he did it.

            "Is there something wrong, son?"  He asks, pulling me from my introspection and back to the world of the living.  

            "Um, no, Grandfather."  To emphasize this, I walked into the spacious and modern kitchen and took a seat on the floor at the table. 

            "Well, if there is, then I know the cure.  Try this! Atomic Bunt Cake, System 2000!"  The only thing my Grandfather likes more than machines and computers is baking.  Unfortunately for me, and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity, his skill and knowledge with the one do not match the other.  Before I could say anything, a plate with the brown-black lump of something was slid across the table toward me, and my Grandfather's eyes were locked with mine, twinkling with expectancy.  What did I do?  Well, you see, I had no choice.  I choked down every last bite and flashed my most winning smile.  True to its name, it tasted like something from a reactor core.

            The trial of acceptance over, Grandfather took a seat across from me.

            "So, child, what have you been up to?  How long has it been?  Oh, I'd say at least three months.  Right?"

            "Yes, Grandfather.  I'm sorry that I haven't visited lately, but I've had a few things to take care of."

            "Oh, don't worry.  It's the way of the young to forget the old."  He smiled, and waved his hand in a dismissing gesture.  He is easily the most forgiving man I have ever known.

            "Really, Grandfather I had been meaning to talk to you for some time."

            "Oh, yes!  I heard that someone had a _girlfriend!  How is she?"_

            "She's dead."  The smile disappeared, and for a brief moment, I saw him as he was when Grandma died.

            "I'm sorry, Hojo.  From what your mother told me, she must have been a wonderful person, since you did so much for her.  Which one got her?"

            "Which what?"

            "You know, the diseases she had.  Which one did she die from?  I heard she was a very sick girl.  I'm very proud of you for taking the time to ensure that her final days were happy ones."

            I can see why he was misled.  Kagome's obituary listed her death as being 'complications resulting from Leukemia.' But  I know the truth, which no one except for Kagome's family, and her friends from the feudal era knew.  However, I will not mislead this man.  The time for action has come, and he will play a pivotal role in my master plan.

            "Grandfather, can we continue down in the lab?"

            "Um, yes.  I don't see why not."  We walked down the hall until we came to what looked like a locked closet, but when the knob is turned in certain directions certain numbers of times, the door opened. Behind the door was a long spiral staircase leading down into the lab.  We descend quickly into the basement, finished and as advanced as any in the world.   In addition, it was all run by my Grandfather without anyone's help.  

            I walk down the center aisle, absently looking at various devices and hulks of metal.  "So, Grandfather, how has that latest project of yours been going?"

            "Hojo, you know I can't talk about my work."

            "Not the government projects, your private experiment."

            "Oh, that.  It is almost completed, but I still have to test it."

            "You need a human subject, don't you?"

            "Yes, but, um, that's going to be me."

            It came out suddenly.

            "Grandfather.  Let me go.  Let me be the first to use the Time Gate!"

            "Hojo!  Is that why you came here?  Do you think I'll put my only grandson at risk?  No, I can't possibly do such a thing.  Besides, what do you hope to accomplish?"

            "I'm going to prevent Kagome's death."

            "How?  Her diseases were all terminal.  There's nothing you could have…"

            "No, you're wrong.  Kagome wasn't sick, she was healthier than you or I.  She didn't die of Leukemia.  She was murdered."  The old man was silent for a moment.

            "I see, but why would her family lie about her condition?  Was her mother responsible?"

            "No, no, no.  You've got it all wrong.  Kagome's family lied about her condition to explain why she wasn't in school very often."  At this time I then told him of Sengoku Jidai, and how Kagome was transported there.  My grandfather was incredulous, amazed that such a thing was possible.  Then he stopped me.

            "Hojo, there's something I must show you."  He motioned me to follow him.  We went to the back of his lab, to his office and through there to his study.  It was enormous, lined wall to wall with books ranging in age from new to ancient.  The floor of the place, though, was bare and the only furniture was his desk and chair, and a wooden cabinet on the far wall.  The only light came from a desk lamp.  

            My grandfather motioned me across the room to this cabinet.  There was a small, slanted reading desk next to it, and another small lamp on top of the desk.  I sat down while my grandfather rummaged through the cabinet.  I couldn't see what he was doing, but I could pick up traces of the smell of very old paper.  Then, there it was before me.  The scroll.  The complete history of the Feudal Ages.

            "Grandfather, this is…!"

            "Yes, now read."  So I did.  My grandfather went out into his lab while I absorbed myself in the ancient parchment for almost an hour.  The scroll was long, since the period was so vast, and mostly fanciful, since not much was known of science at the time.  I read through most of it, reading of wars and lords, and who-controlled-what-kingdom-when, but most of it was uninteresting.  I was on the verge of giving up and going to find my grandfather when  I reached the final passage.  The title: Shikon No Tama and the End of the Warring States Period.  

            This part was no ordinary history.  I had expected the period to be ended by some huge war that consolidated all lands under a central government, but this was not the case.  Instead, it spoke of a tiny village called Edo, of a love affair between a hanyou and a miko.  This love affair ended in tragedy because of another, vengeful, hanyou named…No, _Naraku_?

            It then fast-forwarded fifty years to the arrival of another miko, this time from the future.  Imagine my surprise, to know that it was Kagome.  I read further, reading of all her experiences in the past.  Imagine my horror, when I read of her death!  So it was foretold, all this time?  What I saw next, though, shocked me the most.  It happened in the next battle that her friends had with him.  Amazingly, this was right after her funeral, when they went back to the Feudal Era.  Filled with vengeance and guided by their love for their friend, they destroyed Naraku and his evil detachments and brought peace to the land.  Well, sort of.  There were still many other things happening, but history dealt with that.

            The fact remains that Kagome was the one to end the Feudal Era.  It wasn't immediate, but her courage, love, and kindness led to Naraku's downfall.  _But why must she give her life for these things to happen?_

So lost was I in my own thoughts that I missed my grandfather's approach. 

             "So now you know."

            "Grandfather, why didn't you tell me about this if you knew that Kagome was going to die?"

            "I knew that there was nothing you could do.  If you went back to their final battle, she would have died anyway, and you might have been taken with her.  Hojo, I cannot let you risk your life so foolishly."

            "I could use your prototype armor, and the weapons you made…"

            "No.  Man can build time machines but he cannot change what is or will be.  You must accept that."

            "But… _I love her."  He put a comforting arm around my shoulder and spoke softly to me._

            "Yes you do, but you must find another.  What is gone is gone. The dead are dead, and the living must continue to live.  Now why don't you go home, get some rest.  You have had a busy day, right?"

            "Yes,   I went to Kagome's funeral.  It was amazing all the friends she had.  She was so wonderful…"

            "Hojo, go home and sleep.  Then face the next day with the determination to live.  Only in that way will your heart begin to heal itself."

            "Okay, grandpa."  He guided me from the chair and led me to the door with his arm still around me.  He walked me across the lab and back to the stairs.  I took notice of how many different weapons there were, things no man had seen before.  Laser blades, pulse rifles, shark pistols, even powerful fusion grenades.  I also saw a row of armor, some fully enclosed, other just a collection of metal plates, still others energy-based.  Next to them were a vast amount of other devices that just might be useful to me later on.

            We walked back upstairs to the kitchen.  "Hojo, would you like to take home some Atomic Bunt Cake?"

            "No thanks Grandfather."  With a final goodbye, I left.   

 


	3. The Journey Begins

**Chapter 3: The Journey Begins**

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            True to my grandfather's advice, I went home and slept…for two hours.

            At exactly midnight, the vibrating alarm on my cell phone went off.  At exactly midnight, I threw back the covers on my bed, revealing the clothes I would be traveling in tonight.  First, I reached down to my belt and turned off the alarm, then quietly climbed out of my bed.  Next, I walked across the room to the door, stopping only to pick up my pack, carrying some extra food, a few changes of clothes, a pocket knife, and a picture of Kagome.  Until the day when I can have her back in flesh, this will have to do, and if my plan succeeds, then that day will come very soon.  I carried my pack, which was pretty light considering I'm was going to be gone a few days, on my shoulder and walked out of the room and down the hall.  I tiptoed past my parents, sleeping soundly in their room, and then walked out the door of our apartment and into the dark corridor.  Okay, Phase One complete.

            The next step was much harder.  I headed out into the city of Tokyo, not too far from my home, and went down into the subway.  Here, as in the streets above, the city was suffused with activity.  Street performers were hard at work, and in the air could be heard the sounds of singing, instruments, and even the occasional tap-dancer.  Other people were milling around as well: police officers on their beat, weary workers on their way home from a long shift, cleaners, and people on their way to start the night shift, as well as those out to enjoy Tokyo's abundant nightlife in various night clubs and karaoke bars.  Several of these called out to me jokingly, asking why my mommy would let me stay out past dark, and if I was scared to be out so late.  I didn't care, since the only thing I cared about at the time was getting to my destination.  On the contrary, I was smiling.  I really liked this place, since I had lived here my whole life and had never been anywhere else.  Now I would be leaving it, for at least a little while.  Passing the citizens of this great city, I stepped onto the subway train.

            Clicking and clacking along, the train carried me through the dark catacombs to another station on the other side of the city.  I walked out and up the stairs.  One more mile, and I'll reach Grandfather's house.

            The mile passed quickly, and soon I was there.  Of course, I didn't walk up to the front door this time.  Keeping clear of the motion sensors that trigger the lights, I skirted the house and moved to the back.  There was no way to approach the house without being detected, but that was not my goal.  I simply had to get downstairs before Grandpa did.  

            Carrying out my preconceived plan, I sprinted silently to the back wall of the house to the back door, the one closest to the lab entry door.  It was locked, but I knew that Grandfather kept an extra key in a fake rock next to the door.  I retrieved it, opened the door, and made my way over to the lab entry.  By this time, the silent alarm had gone off.  Obviously, I couldn't hear it, but I knew Grandpa's security system inside and out.  I had prepared well for this operation. 

            I could hear the old man beginning to stir upstairs, so I quickly opened the lab entry, darted inside, and locked the door behind me.  The old man would be through in a second once he realized his lab was being invaded, but for now, he was probably still groggy.  I took advantage of this and quickly made my way down the stairs and into the lab itself.  I then shut and latched another door behind me to further slow my grandfather down when he came to stop me.  And that brings us to the current point in time.  

            I have just completed the hardest part: breaking into my own grandfather's house.  Despite all outward appearances, I am deeply grieved over this.  I respect this man above all else, and this will bring him so much misery and disappointment.  However, without Kagome, I cannot hope to survive.  Therefore I must make this sacrifice.  _I must have her back!_

            The tool benches filled with armament and equipment are on my right.  I walk over to them just as my grandfather reaches the second door.  He begins to pound on it furiously, because he knows that he cannot get through.  I set the latch and barred it as well.  I even disabled the electronic override.  He won't be getting through for quite some time, at least until the time limit that I set runs out.  The door will open in two hours.  

            The old man is still beating on the door, to no avail, but now he's yelling.  I can barely hear him through the soundproof glass, but I know he doesn't yet recognize me.  I walk over to the intercom on the near wall and press the button to talk.

            "Good evening, Grandfather."

            "Grandfather…Hojo!  I thought you were a thief or a spy!  What in kame's name are you doing in there?  You're not…You're going to use the Time Gate aren't you?!  I will only warn you once more, don't do it!  You're putting yourself in grave danger!  Please don't do this to me, to your family!  We don't want to lose you!  Stop!"

            "I'm sorry Grandfather, but I _must_ do this."

            "_Stop this madness!  Hojo…"  I release the button, and his voice is gone.  The room is deathly silent.  I turn my back to him and walk back over to the equipment racks.  _

            Arrayed before me are the most advanced pieces of armor and weaponry known to man.  Actually, to be specific, most of these are top secret projects that _no one_ knows about.  Except for me, of course.  I walk over to the first set of armor, my back still turned to my grandfather, who is still ranting behind the glass.  This is a collection of armor plates and pads made from a new alloy invented by a colleague of my grandfather, a metallurgist.  It looks promising.  I walk over to the next one, which is the same design, only it carries a pack which generates a personal energy shield around the wearer.  Hmm…  The final one is a complete armored battle system, codenamed AIS, or advanced infantry system.  It stands ten feet tall, with a cockpit, to completely encapsulate the pilot, and integrated energy weapons.  Tempting though it may look, I need something a little less.  If I take that to the Feudal times, I'll probably give everyone a heart attack.  

            So my best bet would probably be the shield armor.  I take it off the rack gently and put it on piece by piece, then stand in front of one of the nearby windows.  Looks good.  It's light as well, making movement easy.  I'll need to be able to travel if I'm going to find this Onigumo.  

            Now for the weapons.  I'll need something that doesn't carry ammunition, and is compact.  Hmm, Shark Weapons?  Apparently, these are some offshoot of fusion technology, designed to be quick firing, armor-piercing weapons.  This looks good, since I may run into some of the youkai that were plentiful in that era.  I choose two pistols and a short rifle that closely resembles an MP5.  I sling the rifle across my back, and place the pistols in two belt holsters at my hips.  That should be enough, but I like to be prepared for anything.

            Therefore, I have to choose some extras.   I grab three fusion charges, which should be able to get me out of a tough spot if I run into too many youkai.  Wait, what's this?  I pick up a small, sleek black wristband.  Actually, it covers my entire forearm and goes over the sleeves to the armor.   It's light, and has a small orange button near the elbow.  Curious, I press it, and a two-foot crimson blade appears on the end!  This should come in handy.  That appears to be it, so I walk around the equipment racks and down another aisle to a door.  The entry to the Time Lab.  I open the keypad and type in the entry code.  Yes, I did take a peek at my Grandfather's logs and notes while I was in his study.  The door rushes open, and I walk through.  

            In front of me stands a small wire cage, which appears to be attached to the wall by four thick cables.  To my left, mounted to the wall, is a small computer console.  It's really just a small keypad jutting out of the wall, set below a small vidscreen.  To my right is a pole sticking out of the wall.  On it are three thick, black belts, each with a green button on the buckle.  If I remember correctly, these are the most important part of time travel, since they are the only thing able to bring you back to the present.  I grab one and wrap it around my waist over my gun belts.  Now for the machine.

            The time travel process is simple: log in, type in the date you want to go to, and walk into the cage for transport.  The question is: what date am I going to enter?  As you've probably guessed already, I'm not going to the day that Kagome died.  Grandfather was right about that: if I went there, I would be killed by Naraku.  He's simply too strong for a human like me to handle.  That's why I'm going back farther, to before Kagome ever arrived.  Fifty years before, to be exact.

            I'm going to the time when all the trouble started.  When Inuyasha fell in love with Kikyo.  When Kikyo found Onigumo, and tried to nurse him back to health.  When Onigumo lusted for Kikyo, and became Naraku to destroy her.  If I can kill Onigumo, then history will be drastically changed.  The Shikon Jewel won't be burned with Kikyo's remains, but will be used to make Inuyasha human as originally planned.  Then Kagome won't be pulled back in time.  _And she will LIVE! _

            Anticipation overcomes me as I step to the console and enter the access code.  A chime greets my ears as I am logged in.  I type in the date: 550 years into the past.  The cage begins to glow, and I am prompted to enter.  I walk over, heart pounding, hands sweating, and step up into the glowing cage.  Energy surrounds me.  It buzzes in my ears, fills my nose with acrid odor, and sets my skin to tingling flame.  It continues to build until the hum becomes a roar.  

            My Grandfather has found his way to the observation window, and he stares at me with wild eyes filled with horror.  I can only smile.  I'm going to save my love!  

            The energy builds higher, entering my body, speeding down nerves, blood vessels, muscle, and bone, and tissue.  My body stiffens instantly.  Pain pounds me from all sides.  _Oh Kame!  How much longer?  Then, the climax: a burst of light, blinding me, and I am taken from this world.  _


	4. Rude Awakening

**Chapter 4: Rude Awakening**

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            _I am caught, helpless, in the swirling eddies of the time streams.  Possibilities and realities spin past my sight, immersed in a dense purple fog.  My body is on fire with its energy.  Am I screaming, or silent?  Or locked in prayer?  I can't tell.  Downward I fall into this abyss, riven by the intense forces at work upon me.  The pain is immense, yet I feel detached from myself, making it only a slow ache.  I am vaguely aware that my equipment, weapons, and armor are starting to unravel from me.  Then the light explodes, and I am lost again._

The mists clear away, and I have returned to reality.  I can see nothing but blue sky and clouds, and the ground beneath me is soft and leafy.  Moving to get up, I realize that it's not ground at all, but a group of branches in a tree.  A _large_ tree.  On the edge of a towering cliff.  The cliff fades down a rocky hillside, which has to be a couple of hundred feet down.  A fall from this height would leave me in bad shape.  I must be careful.

            I try not to move around too much as I reach for a more solid limb.  Finding one, I ease back onto it.  There, that's a little more stable.  Now to get down completely.  It's at least twenty feet from the lowest branch to the ground, like the Sacred Tree at the Higurashi Shrine.  Higurashi…_Kagome_…NO!  I must not think about her right now.  I have to get out of this tree and begin searching for Onigumo.  Ambling out onto the branch, I grab hold of it and come to a hanging position.  Letting go, I drop down.

            "Oomph!"  I land on my feet and roll to the ground.  Damn!  I think I sprained my ankle.  Oh well, its not that bad.  Getting to my feet, I realize that I can still walk, so I begin to walk away from the dangerous cliffside.  Now where am I?

            To my right is a waterfall, and serene droning presses at my ears.  To my left and in front of me is nothing but dense forest.  The only path is along the river that feeds the waterfall.  I turn around.  By the position of the sun, it looks to be around noon.  Interesting…The machine must not be that precise when it comes to time of day.  Are there any villages around?  I look off into the distance over the cliff.  Damn!  Not one sign of civilization!  I guess I'll have to do some old-fashioned footwork.  

            Now that I have my bearings, the next step is to check my equipment.  Parts of my armor fell off during transition, such as the arm pads, leg pads, shoulder pads… pretty much everything besides the chest plate and shield generator, but I still have my pistols and laser blade.  I can still kill Onigumo, if I can find him.  My next question, though, is why did my armor come off?  After all, it was tied securely to my body with leather, nylon, and steel!  And I needed that rifle, as well as my grenades.  Maybe some effects of the time transition?  Who knows?  I wish I would've read Grandfather's notes more thoroughly!  Damn, I'm a fool!

            Yet I must stay calm.  I have work to do, though some of my equipment is missing.  I begin to walk toward the forest.  If I can follow this river, I will eventually run into some village or another, and then I can inquire as to the location of Edo.  I'm not ready to give up yet.

            Wait, where is my…Oh no!  The Time Belt!  It's missing!  I must find it, or else I'm stuck here.  I walk back to the Cliffside and scan the area.  I look up into the tree.  Nothing.  I look all over the ground.  Nothing.  I even search the edge of the forest.  Still nothing!  Then I look over the cliff, and there it rests on an exposed tree root.  It's ten feet below me, but there are roots jutting out everywhere.  If I can use them as latticework, I can get to my belt, the most important piece of equipment I'm carrying.

            I take a deep breath, say a prayer to the heavens, and place my foot on the first root.  It gives slightly, and I am granted a fleeting, terrifying vision of falling headlong into the chasm.  It unnerves me, but I climb further down.  Now I am standing on another root and holding on to the one I was standing on in the first place.  A fierce wind whips up the cliff face, causing everything to quiver.  More prayers, and sweat dots my brow.  I don't, can't, look down.  Must not…Damn it all!  A small cloud drifts by below me, but something else is there as well.  It looks like…a…flying serpent.  Flying serpent?

            Dragon!  Or rather, Dragon-youkai.  This is not good.  What's even worse, it knows of my presence.  It begins surging up the cliff face with blinding speed.  It will be upon me in seconds.

….

            _Deep within its primeval psyche, its deepest desire cries to be sated.  It's hungry, and surges from its nest at the bottom of the hillside, anxious to feed.  The Dragon-youkai heads for the upper cliffs, for it knows from experience that there will be game to find there.  Massive birds, woodland creatures, even other Dragon-youkai.  But a new scent, borne on the downdrafts, greets its sensitive olfactory.  It recognizes it immediately.  Human.  They were typically not good for eating, since they were hard to find in this area, hard to catch, and were often too much trouble for too little meat.  But this human was in trouble, and its fear was apparent.  The dragon-youkai detected a few other scents as well, unrecognizable, but simply assumed the human had wet himself.  Its reconnaissance complete, it is ready to strike. _

_            It slithers silently among the clouds, but it knows that such a movement is worthless now.  The human has already spotted it.  The thin, whip-like mass of fangy jaw, emerald scales, and gleaming claws flaps its wings and surges upward.  It hugs the cliff and passes right over the human.  Correction: human **boy.  The stench of youth surrounds him, intermingled with his fear.  The dragon-youkai finishes its pass over and stops above the boy's head, hovering just off the cliff's end.  The boy's hand moves to his chest, possibly to still his erratic heartbeat?  These thoughts drift delightfully through the beast's mind as it gathers its ancient power.  Its fangs spread apart, ever so slightly, and smoke begins to roll forth.  Its maw becomes a leering grin.  The reaction completes inside its belly, and the dragon launches forth a salvo of deadly fire.  It rushes over the boy, covering him completely.  The dragon waits for the smoke to clear, and for the opportunity to view its well-done prize.**_

_            But what's this?  The boy is unscathed!  Last the dragon checked, human beings burned to a crisp when touched by flame.  He should be nothing but cinders!  The dragon tries again, creating flames inside its belly, and prepares to toast the boy once again.  However, it never gets the chance.  The boy releases a salvo of his own, and a wave of bluish sparks strike the dragon in multiple places.  One rips a furrow in the beast's scaly neck, another tears off a foot off its tail, and yet another one destroys its upper left claw.  A scream of agony, and the beast dives toward him.  This particular dragon has never known the torture of defeat, and will not start at the hands of a human child.  Its remaining claws open wide, and the dragon impacts the cliffside, pinning the boy against blackened stone and charred roots.  It feels his helpless struggle, hears his plaintive cries, and presses harder.  The boy's screams increase in delicious volume, but the dragon quickly adds its own to the cacophony.  A burning pain rips along its underside, and it instinctively leaps back.  _

_            What is this? Sorcery? The dragon realizes that a two-foot gash has appeared on its underside.  Worse, it has penetrated deep into its tough hide and caused massive bleeding.  The youkai screams with unholy rage.  It stares down at the boy, who now sports a crimson blade on his right arm.  This is a surprise, since humans are usually ignorant of black magic.  The boy stares directly into its eyes, and smirks.  Then it lets loose with another flurry of the strange blue shots.  They strike the dragon again and again, pushing it beyond rage and into mindless desperation.  It conjures another burst of fire, but the shots get through its scaly skin, into its belly, and into its fuel supply.  The wave of fire impacts the cliff, but not before the dragon is gone in an even more brilliant flash.  Only cinders are left to be borne away on meandering mountain winds._

……

            "Thanks…Gran…dpa." I say a silent prayer to the maker of this wonderful technology.  My life is my own, for now.  The shield blocked the dragon's fire, and the chest and back plate kept my lungs and heart from becoming paste.  Yet I'm still in trouble.  The dragon's attack has scorched the roots I'm depending on to keep me on the cliffside, and they won't last for much longer.  I can hear cracks and groans all around, and feel the slide begin.  My belt is close, and I must have it.  I climb down a few more branches, then lean down to grab the belt.  Another crack is heard, yet I keep leaning.  It is inches from my fingers.  But my luck has run out.  As my fingers close around the thick nylon, the root gives, and I am left at the mercy of the uncaring sky.

****


	5. White Hands, Black Soul

**Chapter 5: White Hands, Black Soul**

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            _Oh, Kami!_

_            Uggghhhh…_

_            Can you hear me?_

_            Ohhhh…Ahhhh…_

_            Don't try to move, you'll make it worse._

_            Aaagggghhh…_

_            Let me have a look at you._

_            Oh, dear, this is terrible…Kaede!_

_            Hai, Onee-sama?*_

_            Go get help.  Hurry!_

_            Hai!_

_            Ooohhhhh…_

_            Can you speak?  No? Lie still, help is coming._

_            Onee-sama!  We're back!_

_            Here, be gentle.  Watch his head.  Take him to the cave, and lay him next to the other man._

_            Hai, Kikyo-sama._

..............

Ohhhh…what's going on?  My head, my back, my legs…everything feels wrecked.  Where am I…Aaaahh!  The pain!  I guess I can't move just yet.  I must open my eyes, though.  I have to see where I am.

            My eyes open to almost total darkness.  I can't see a thing.  Is it nighttime, or am I just inside?  There are no stars, so it must be inside.  The floor beneath me is soft, a pad.  Beneath it is damp, and smells of earth; it must be the ground.  I am on the ground, yet inside?  What is this?

            After the pain subsides, I try to move a little.  The first thing I notice is that there is some sort of crude brace on my neck, to keep it from moving, I suppose.  My left arm is alright, and…OWWWW!  My right arm is not.  I touch it gently with my left hand, finding that the bone isn't badly broken or shattered.  Good, it is only a small fracture.  Now for my legs.  Let's see….neither will move, and it hurts when I try anyway.

            So that's it then.  I am immobilized, unable to walk and therefore unable to pursue my objective.  Damn it all!  Damn! It! To! Hell!

            I must be calm; pounding the dirt will get me nowhere.  Which brings me to my next question, where am I?  There was no cave at the bottom of the hillside, so I must have been moved, but by whom?  A hand alights on my shoulder.

            "How are you?"  I start with a gasp.  It is a female voice, but I can't see her face.  Who is she?  Is she the one who brought me here?

            "Can you hear me?"

            "Yes, who are you?"

            "First, who are you?  You are dressed strangely, and when I found you, there was a strange aura around you.  Yet you are not youkai."

            "That aura was a shield, created by a machine.  I am not youkai, but human.  Now would you please step in front of me?  I can't turn my head."

            In a rustling of ancient fabric, she moves into view.  Immediately, I realize I must be dreaming.  What I see is impossible.  I see a woman, young, wearing an older style kimono of white and red.  Her hair is long and black, held back by an elaborate ribbon.  Her beauty is breathtaking.  Of course I would think so, she looks exactly like Kagome!  Yet this is not her.  The difference is in the eyes.  This woman's eyes are full of sadness, while Kagome's always danced with life.  This brings my senses back to me, and I can speak again.

            "Who are you?"

            "You seem shocked."

            "You resemble someone I know."

            "Very well.  I am Kikyo, Priestess of Edo.  You are in a cave near the village, where I have been tending your wounds."

            What?  _This _is Kikyo?  The priestess that fell in love with Inuyasha?  The first to fall victim to Naraku?  Amazing…I never thought I would have the good luck to find someone straight from the annals of history, but I guess that's the advantage of a time machine. 

            "Whatever that aura was, it saved your life.  You would have been smashed to death on the rocks.  That fall was impossibly high."  Hmm…The shield protected me?  Oh, that's right, the shield repels anything moving at high velocity, A.K.A The Ground, bullets, energy blasts, or fire.  This thing has really come in handy.

            "Miko-sama…"

            "Please, call me Kikyo."

            "Kikyo-sama, where is the armor that I was wearing?"

            "One of the villagers took it off you and left it in my home.  However, I do not suggest that you try to get it.  You will need to rest.  You won't be able to so much as move for a week.  You have several broken bones.  If you lie here, the bones will mend, but if you try to move, they may not heal correctly.  Until you are well again, you will be in my care.  Relax.  Try to rest."  Her words are soothing, but I don't wish to rest.  I can't rest until the evil of Naraku is destroyed, a task which only I can perform at this time.  However, Kikyo is right.  I will be worthless if I try to go now.  Until I am well, I will not be able to find Onigumo.

            "Kikyo-sama, has night fallen yet?"

            "No, but the sky is darkening."

            "Arigato."

            "Good night…what was your name?"

            "Hojo."

            "Good night, Hojo-san."

            With Kikyo gone and night falling, now is probably the best time to go to sleep.  I will need my energy.  As soon as these wounds heal, I will kill Onigumo.  Damn!  I forgot to ask about my guns!  They must be with the armor.  Oh well, now for sleep.

………..

            _Kagome, everything I do, it will be for you.  Every sacrifice, every drop of blood spilled will be to avenge and glorify you.  My dear love, I will fight to my last breath for you.  I will kill anyone who stands in the way of my plan for your revival.  And when every enemy is dead, every foe broken and dying on the ground, you will rise back to the land of the living.  When that day comes, I will be there to greet you, a smile on my face and arms open to embrace you.  My love, my dearest Kagome._

_            ……You will fail……_

_            What?  Who speaks?  Come forth from the darkness!_

_            ……You will die……_

_            Who are you?  You know not of what you are speaking, stranger.  I will succeed, and Kagome will be mine!_

_            ……Your future is already written, and you shall fall at my hand……_

_            At whose hand?  Who, with such audacity, dares taunt me in my own mind?  Show yourself!_

_            ……Your desire shall be your downfall……Hojo-kun……_

_            Hojo-kun?  How dare you, bastard!  Come out or I will hunt you down!_

_            ……Very well……_

_            **The stranger steps from the darkness.**_

_            Who…How can this be? _Kagome?_  Your voice is not your own.  Why do you taunt me so?_

_            I receive no response.  Her face contorts into an evil smile.  I begin to run toward her, before she disappears.  Just as my hands reach for her face, she is gone.  An unknown power flares through my body, and I am pulled back into the mists of unconsciousness, screaming in pain.  _

……..

            "Hojo-san!  Hojo-san!  Awaken!  Please wake up!"

            "_Unggghhhh…who is it?"_

            "It is I, Kaede.  Onee-sama sent me to look after you two for a little while.  Are you hungry?"

            "Actually, I am.  Thank you.  Do you know what time it is?"

            "It's morning, the sun is up already.  Here is your food."

            "Thank you."  The young girl hands me a bowl of some strange stew, and I drink it down with relish, if a bit un-gentleman-like.  She doesn't seem to mind, only walks off behind me.  She had two bowls of stew in her hand.  One was for me and the other must be for her own breakfast.  Wait…didn't she say 'you two'?  What did she mean?  Is there another injured person in the cave with me?  That's impossible; I would have heard someone if they were nearby, even if I couldn't see them. 

            "Where is that bitch sister of yours?  I can't walk, but I think a part of me is ready to resume its duties.  Ha HA!"  A rough voice says from somewhere behind me.

            "Please, sir, don't say such things.  Onee-sama will be out until later.  Please eat your breakfast, and don't give me any trouble."

            "I don't want trouble, little girl.  All I want is to show you all the things your sister has missed.  Ever had a boyfriend, little girl?"  Whoever this is, he infuriates me!  What nerve!  Saying such things to an innocent young lady, who has never been exposed to such lewd propositions, and only wants to care for his injuries.  If I could walk, I would stand up and teach that man to watch his tongue.  Unfortunately,  I can only speak.  Well, I've got to do something.

            "Excuse me, would you please leave Kaede-sama alone, and just eat your breakfast like she's asking you?  You are very lucky to have such people taking care of you, since you are obviously unworthy of the honor."

            "So, copper-top decides to open his mouth.  What are you going to do, throw a blanket at me?  You can't see me, but I can see you and believe me, you got no place to be making threats, _boy."_

            "Mark my words, stranger, once I am free of this bed, I will make you eat those words."

            "Ooooh, you've got some balls, kid, but mine are bigger.  You should know better than to mess with a _real man."_

            "Please stop!  Both of you!  Just be quiet and lay down.  Onee-sama will not be happy."  

            "Oh my…will the great _Kikyo-sama_ come to _discipline me?  I look forward to that.  Ha Ha!"_

            "Onigumo-san! Stop this instant!" 

             _What did she just say!  Onigumo?  That bastard has been within my grasp all this time!? Yes! That's right, Kikyo was caring for a man at the time of Naraku's appearance!  This is him!  Injury or not, now is the time to strike.  I have no guns, no armor, yet I will kill him!  You bastard…_

_            "ONIGUMO!  You scum!  Your life ends NOW!!!"  _Against the will of my body, against searing pain, against debilitating injury, keeping only the specter of Kagome and the fires of love and hate within my mind, I begin to rise.  First, I will my head up from the ground, growling in pain, teeth gritted.  Next, I bring my aching legs under me, and lean over onto hands and knees.  Now, I can stand.  I bring my right leg forward, put my weight on it, and bring the other one under me.  Bones strain, muscles stretch, and joints pop, as I finally reach a standing position.  Bandages and blankets fall from me.

            "Hojo-san!  You mustn't!"

            "Stand aside, Kaede-sama.  This is something I must do.  Go from this place."  I speak to her in as controlled a voice as I can, but the pain is raging like a demon inside me, and it comes out a fearsome growl.  Drawing on an unknown source of power, I turn and look upon Onigumo for the first time.  Just as I thought: an invalid, bandaged from head to foot.  He won't be able to stay my hand, and neither will Kaede.  I was hoping this could be done in a clean manner, but without my weapons that will be impossible.  Still, he must die for Kagome to live.  For that alone, I will kill him in any way possible, paying no heed to the blood spilled or the price paid.  I must do this for atonement, to pay back the debt I owe for Kagome's death.  

            I begin a shambling walk forward.  Each step is agony, each inch grinding bones together, every foot gained at the price of my already fragile body.  Sealed wounds bleed freely, fractures widen, and the demon screams louder.  Nothing will hold me back.

            I notice vaguely that Kaede has left.  Good, she won't have to witness the carnage I will unfurl.

            "Well, well coppertop, maybe your balls _are_ bigger than mine.  But you still don't have brains.  Your body will give out before you even get close to me, and you'll be stuck on the ground even longer.  What a fool!  Ha Ha!  Ha Ha Ha!"

            "_You…piece of…shit…You have no idea who I am…I will have your head!"  This monster is within mere feet.  I am so close!_

            "Hojo-san!  Stop!"  I hear a twang, and the sound of the air being split by a projectile.  I look down and see an arrow only inches from my feet.  To my left stands Kikyo, her eyes empty, another arrow already on the string.  "The next shot will be at you heart.  Go back to your bed."

            "Kikyo-sama!  This man is not innocent; in days he will rise up and kill you!  He must be destroyed so that he can do no harm!"

            "Don't speak foolishly.  This man will never be able to walk again. He will never leave his place.  He cannot kill even himself."

            "He will, one day soon. His soul…"  Oh god, I can't stand this pain…my body…don't give up!

            "Hojo-san, please lie down.  You have already hurt yourself enough."

            I can't stand anymore.  I slump to the ground, murderous desire gone, for now.  Tomorrow is another day, and no matter what injuries I sustain, the force of my hate will keep me alive.

……………………….

Hai-yes

Onee-sama-older sister: Kaede's standard term when referring to Kikyo.          

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	6. Hojo Vs Fate

**A/N:** I would just like to apologize to the reviewers who wanted Inuyasha and Hojo to meet.  Sadly, they will not.  This was only meant to be a short piece, and such a meeting would add another undesired level of complexity.  I have a couple of other long pieces in the works, and I really just wanted to get this idea out of the way.  However, if I get 10 reviews asking me to include a meeting, I will rewrite the story with a plot twist that will bring them into contact.  That's 10 reviews, and I will add a chapter or two.

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**Chapter 6: Hojo vs. Fate**

            Kikyo watched as her young charge fell to the ground.  She then motioned with her hands, and three men emerged to pick up the boy and move him out of the cave, since he obviously posed a danger to himself and her other charge.  She instructed them to bring him to her home.  They left, and Kikyo was alone, standing behind Onigumo.

            "Hey, bitch!  Is coppertop dead yet?"

            "Please be quiet, I am growing impatient with you.  You should be grateful that I saved you.  With his hate and the determination it brought, you would not be alive now.  Return to sleep and I will return tomorrow."

            "Damn it!  I'm hungry!  That little bitch ran off with my food!"

            "I'll send Kaede here with some more food for you.  In the meantime, relax.  I will see you tomorrow morning."  

………..

            I am roused once again from the mist of unconsciousness by a pair of gentle hands.  Yet there is something strange about this touch, something otherworldly, something mystical.  I can feel currents of energy flowing in me, through my skin and into my bones.  I cannot see; only feel.

            I feel this power sink into my tired muscles, and they are renewed.  I feel it sink into my shattered skeletal structure, and they are made whole.  The magical feeling prances around throughout my body, pushing away pain and leaving peace.  Then it is over, and I can open my eyes.

            Kikyo is standing above me, hands splayed out in front of her, brows knitted in concentration.  I realize that we are in a hut, most likely her home.  Her eyes open, and she speaks.

            "Are you feeling better, Hojo-san?"

            "Kikyo-sama! I've never felt better!"  I try to get up, but my muscles aren't as strong as originally assessed, and several kinks and cramps render me floor bound once again.  Kikyo is not bothered though, and laughs lightly.

            "I'm afraid you aren't _completely _healed yet.  Here, let me help you.  Now, rise slowly."  She takes my hands in hers, and slowly assists me in regaining a standing posture.  "There, now I suggest you take a small walk to regain use of your limbs.  The soreness and fatigue you feel are simply the result of inactivity.  Enough movement and you should be returned to full strength, but I warn you: do not push yourself, since your body is still fragile."

            "Kikyo-sama, what did you just do to me?"

            "I simply used holy Magik to speed up your body's natural healing process.  If I had not done so, then you would not be able to walk for several months."

            "If I may ask, why did you not use these magiks to begin with?"

            "I was afraid that you were youkai, and did not want to harm you, though it is now obvious that you are not.  Therefore I felt it right to heal you.  Thankfully your wounds are not terrible, and can be healed by magik."

            "You have my sincere gratitude then, Kikyo-sama."

            "You are most welcome, Hojo-san.  Now, before you go, I would like to request that you stay away from Onigumo-san.  I do not know what history you two have, but I humbly request that you spare him.  He is crippled.  Death would be a mercy for him, but you should not harm him."

            "I won't then."  I have never told a greater lie.

            Kikyo leaves and I am about to leave myself when I catch sight of my heart's desire: my guns!  Not only that, but my armor and Time Belt are there.  I am so happy; I scoop up the belt and squeeze it like a little girl with her teddy bear.  I can now get home!  Yet I have one more thing to do before I can leave.  I strap on my armor and the gun belts, then attach the laser blade to my wrist.  My ultimate task in mind, I set my feet in the direction of the cave.

            Night has fallen.  I guess the time to be somewhat around eight, and the stars shine beautifully overhead, as I enter the grassy field leading to the cave of Onigumo.  I stop suddenly when I see a light ahead: Kaede is in the cave.  Despite my obvious desire, I do not wish to kill him in front of an innocent little girl.  Especially when she dedicated herself to my care at my most vulnerable time.  Against my heart, I deviate from my path and stalk silently into the forest, waiting for the little girl to leave.  It is over an hour before she steps out of the entrance and heads back for the village.

            I wait a little longer.  After all, it is not as if my quarry will escape.  I find myself thinking about Kikyo, and her recent change of personality.  At first glance she was sad and lonely, but lately she has become extremely cheerful, almost jovial.  She radiates passion.  She seems like a woman in love.

            I received the same impressions of Kagome just before her death.  She was in love with Inuyasha, and died for that love.  A funny thing it is: she died for the love of one, and she will be brought back by the love of another.  My love!

            Oh yes, I will succeed!  My quarry is within my grasp and I salivate with desire for his blood!  I tighten my grip on my weapons, drawing both guns from their holsters.  I rise and march, with deadly purpose, toward the cave.  It is when I step into the grass that I realize that I am not alone.

            A dark, slimy form brushes past my leg.  I immediately freeze and look around.  Nothing.  Another creature scrapes by.  Then I see them in the dim light: serpents.  Small, but dangerous, they slink toward the cave through the tall grass, cutting small furrows.  I see very little of their features, but they are all different.  One has one eye, another has two.  One has fangs, another doesn't.  Then I recognize them, and fear chills my blood and turns my heart to ice.  Youkai!

            This is it!  The rise of Naraku!  These are the youkai that are going to eat Onigumo's soul and turn him into the strongest demon to ever live.  Kagome's killer is about to be born!  No…NO!

            Bright flashes light the field as I open fire on the monsters.  Deadly force jumps from twin muzzles and sizzles youkai dead in their tracks.  Not one of the dozen or so monsters reaches the cave mouth.  It's not over.

            Looking up, the night comes alive, but not with starlight.  I see the dark aura of a youkai horde!  Their hungry eyes, as one, are fixed on the cave mouth, and they do not see me.  Yet I see them through my gun sights.  I unsling the shark rifle from my back and take a knee.  Not one of these beasts will reach Onigumo.  If they do, it will be over my corpse.  I fire, and the lead youkai explodes in a gruesome rain.  Claws, flesh and ichors coat the ground around me.  The youkai surge onward.  I fire two more shots, and two more youkai are taken down.  My accuracy is not superb; the youkai horde is so dense that anything will hit.  I switch to full auto, and begin spraying the horde with rending energy.  The group splits, and an insane amount of monsters descend on my position.  Though not attacking, they sweep on by.  Monsters are all around me, and I am bounced from hide to hide, scraping my armor against scales, carapace, and hard shells.  I am thrown to the ground, but quickly regain my feet, firing wildly at the retreating forms until I am knocked down again.  I rise and fire on the advancing attackers.  I am picked up and carried along in the thick, steady stream of beasts, but I stand and fire downward, destroying my transportation and falling roughly back to the ground.  

            The field is alive with youkai of every size and type.  And not a single one stops to attack me.  They all surge on, desperate for this prized meal, and my failure grows more apparent as each youkai slips through my defense.  Oh, cruel Irony!  I am defending the man I wish to kill!  How life so quickly comes to this…  For every demon I fell, many more enter the cave, and a furious river gushes inside.  I am firing wildly in all directions, demons pounding into me, my skin covered in cuts and bruises, but all in vain!  

I drop the rifle and draw my pistols.  I kill two at a time now, but their rate of entry does not slow!  Many have entered the cave, and many more remain outside.  It is possible that Naraku may already be spawned!  

Then, the dark light shines.  Outward from the cave and onto all the demons in the clearing.  The speed of entry increases wildly, as if a ravenous vacuum is drawing them all in.  The clearing is quickly drained of every living thing except me.  I dive to the ground to escape the furious storm.

As quickly as it began, it is over.

Darkness rules the clearing.  I open my eyes and raise myself from the ground.  I can't see a thing, my pupils still small from the lights and thus my night vision poor.  Nothing moves, not even the wind, and all is silent.  The woods are devoid of sound, and it seems that all life has moved from this place.  I'm still slightly disoriented from the minutes-long battle, yet I wonder where all the youkai have gone?  They were sucked into the cave, so that must mean Naraku is down there!

Grandpa, you said I shouldn't face him, but I have no choice.  I have failed in my original goal, so I must make another: kill Naraku!

"Naraku!  Show yourself bastard!  I want to fight!"

Only silence answers my call to battle.  "Are you a coward, hanyou?  I have challenged you!  Answer!"

"Kukuku…"  The sound comes from all directions at once, flowing thickly like poison.  Yet I cannot see him.  "You are unwise to challenge me, but I will reward your folly.  I will let you be the first to die by the power of this Naraku."

A foul odor suddenly hangs in the air, and a terrible taste greets my tongue.  This must be miasma!  I will not meet Kagome's fate!  I reach down and strike the button on my chest plate.  The white sphere of the armor shield instantly surrounds me, and the miasma is blocked.  "Ha ha ha…You think simple tricks will end this fight?  You are wrong!"  I quickly reach into the time belt and grab a small cylinder.  Gripping it, I throw it into the center of the clearing.  The white flash of the flare illuminates the shadows, and twenty feet away I see him.

Inuyasha…no, Naraku in the guise of the inuhanyou.  "I see you…this battle is over!"  My guns are out and flashing in seconds, but the false Inuyasha darts to the side in a crimson flash.  I track him but he continues to leap and doge in all directions.  I lose sight of him…until a claw grasps the back of my neck.  Another reaches around to the front of my  armor.  

"You will not need this anymore…after I send you to hell…"  The claw presses the button, and the shield disappears.  I move to reactivate it, but a claw rakes down my back, and the severed pieces fall from me, along with the shredded time belt.  I turn, stumble back, and fall to the ground at his feet.  I can only stare at the hanyou…helpless.  I start to raise my arm for a last ditch attack with the blade, but he tears the device from me.  Blood begins to flow from the minor wounds.  He simply stands over me, golden hate filled eyes locked with mine.

Then a claw comes down, gripping my throat.  I am raised high above him with little effort.  The other claw raises level with my chest…my eyes close, and only Kagome fills my mind.

….

            Naraku marveled at the weakness of humans as he plunged one nimble claw through the boy's chest.  There was blood spray, and collapsing organs, then a sickening lurch and the boy was gone.  He dropped the pile of rent, lifeless flesh to the grass.  He walked onward, from the cave, through the woods, and out into another larger field.  He crouched low and waited until morning.

….

            _The sacred Shikon Jewel clutched in one slender hand, Kikyo walked out of the village and into the wilderness.  Now where was that hanyou…_

_            She never saw the form speeding toward her.  Suddenly all was pain, and the lives of two young miko were forever shattered._

_…………………………………………………………………………………………………………._

Wait! Don't go!  There's more…( points furiously at NEXT button).  Things are over, but they're not.  Read on to the epilogue!  If I just uploaded this chapter, then the epilogue will probably be posted in another couple of days.  Don't worry… this will be a happy ending!


	7. Epilogue: Home Forever

**Epilogue: Home Forever**

****

            _The pain of death tore through me.  The demon's claw shattered my bones and eviscerated my most vital organs.  Spasms of pain rocked me from severed nerves, and blood flowed free inside of me.  As the last of my vitality faded out of existence, I knew I had failed._

_            I'm sorry, Grandpa…_

_            I'm sorry, Mother…_

_            I'm sorry, Father…_

_            I'm sorry…Kagome…I was never worthy of your love…_

My soul detaches from its body and begins its trek into the darkness.  It hovers above the scene of carnage for a moment, long enough to see the bloody ruins of my physical body, and then begins to rise.

            Up through the clouds, and away from the land.  Up through the atmosphere, and away from the Earth.  Up through space, and away from the Sun. 

            The cold of the universe surrounds me as I wonder.  Is this what death is like?  To be banished from your home to an exile among the stars?  Am I being punished for my failure?  Surely in Heaven, failing to save the life of an angel is a dire sin.  And that is what I have done.  Kagome will never know life again, and neither will I.  Yet I accept my fate.  I deserve to die, and I deserve the most hellish punishment that can be given by whoever rules Other World.

            My lonely spirit continues on into the outer edge of the solar system, and I watch disinterested as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and finally Pluto streak by.  I pass through the Oort Cloud, and hundreds of angry comets surge through my form.  I pass on further, higher, my eyes seeing galaxies in the throes of birth, and the throes of death.  I see planets, and alien civilizations, and alien moons.  I see more galaxies, and then they too fade from view.  The surreal blackness becomes complete.

            But now, like the threshold between end of night and coming of dawn, the light changes.  The blackness changes to a light blue, then to gray with pink around the edges.  I can see the horizon, and in one spectacular moment…the Sun rises.

            I am completely in awe of its beauty, as it is unlike any Earthly sunrise.  It shines brighter, and with colors more true, but I am not blinded.  I feel my eyes growing stronger…and I feel the pain of life and death slip away.  I am covered now in golds and reds and oranges…and I can feel my very soul come back to life.

            Finally, I am able to see this place, and what a place it is!  Flowers…they dominate everything.  Flowers of every size and shape and color and hue.  Every species that has existed or will exist is here, waving gently in a sweet breeze under a divine sun.  I see trees as well, carrying all the fruits of the world.  Everything stretches on into eternity.  I see the sky above, a beautiful rich blue that promises never to rain.  I see rivers, and hills, and cascading waterfalls.  I see…Paradise?  Nirvana?  Heaven?  This place…it simply cannot be real!  I am not worthy of it!  Not at all…

            I sink to my knees, overcome with beauty, but also with anger.  This place is deserted.  Why should I be here if Kagome is not?  Has she gone to a better place than I?  If that is so, then this place is truly hell.  Nothing is sacred without her touch.

            "_…Hojo-kun…"  An ethereal voice fills the skies and ripples though creation.  It is everywhere and resounding, yet naught is harmed.  It is voice that…reminds me._

            "_…Hojo-kun…Welcome home…" the voice is still omnipresent, but is somehow closer.  And then…it is there…behind me.  I turn, and my soul is shaken by the appeared form._

            The form of ideal beauty…

            The form of peace…

            The form of the Holiest Angel…

            "_Ka..gome..?"_

_            "Welcome, Hojo-kun.  Let your spirit be at rest…The time for war is over…"_

            And then, the light consumes me, and our spirits are brought together by her hands.  She is so close to me; never could I have dreamed of this!  Her arms close and draw me tight into her pure white kimono.  Oh kami…I want this, I _need this…_After everything, to be able to have her is greater than the greatest dream, than the greatest miracle.

            But still I break her hold.  Still I push her away.  Still I turn away and shield my eyes from her light.

            "…_What is the matter?  You fought for my soul, yet though you have it now, you reject it?"_

_            "Have ...your soul?  My love, I am not worthy.  I am a failure, and I have no right to interfere."_

_            "You have not failed.  No being can defeat Fate.  That was your opponent, not Naraku.  You lost for that reason, yet you did not fail.  You did what no one else would; many loved me, but you gave up everything.  And now you would even forfeit my hand, which is now yours forever."_

_            "Kagome…!  You cannot!  What of Inuyasha?  Is he not still your love?"_

_            "Inuyasha?  Hojo, come with me."_

Then, heaven fades away, stars and planets pass in the blink of an eye, and we are back in the forests and fields of Feudal Japan.  It is night, and I catch sight of Kagome walking away from me into a small grove of trees.  I walk forward down a trail.  All is silent.  Kagome continues to walk forward, and I rush to keep up with her.  I walk briskly until I am stopped by something off to the side of the trail.  It is clothing.  One blood-red kimono with matching pants and a white shirt, lying next to a white kimono and a red hakama.  Male's and female's clothing.  I continue on down the trail.  I see Kagome, standing in front of a tree with her back to me.  I trot up next to her and ask what is going on.  She motions toward the tree.  I look, and immediately flush with acute embarrassment.  

            At the base of the tree are a man and woman.  They are wearing nothing and are locked deeply into the throes of passion.  I quickly turn around…this is extremely improper, yet I can still hear their moans of pleasure.  

            "…_Kagome?  Why have you brought me here?"_

_            "Look again, Hojo.  Don't you recognize them?"_

I do as I am told, and peek at the lustful couple, oblivious to our presence.  I stare hard.  I don't recognize the man, yet I notice that he has unnaturally white hair and…dog ears?  Hmmm…  Confused, I look next at the woman as she rolls the male onto his back and takes control of their passionate rite.  I see her long hair slicked with sweat, watch her arching body…and eventually recognize her.  It is Kikyo!  Dear Kami!

            "_Kagome!  Kikyo is still alive?  And with Inuyasha?!"_

_            "Yes.  After all this time Inuyasha has made peace with his heart, and will stay with her until his final days."_

_            "Kagome…I'm so sorry…your heart must ache…" _

_            "No, it does not, for I too have made peace with myself.  He cared for me, yes, and even now keeps me in a small recess of his heart.  Yet he does not love me, nor I him.  We both have found the truth inside our own hearts, and know true love."  _

_            As she speaks, our spirits leap from the ground and streak back to the verdant fields of heaven, leaving the lovers to themselves.  Kagome stands with her back to me, and her head is bowed, mere feet away.  The she turns to me, and the full glory of her gaze is brought to bear upon my vision._

_            "Kagome…"  I can only gasp as I sink to my knees in overwhelmed reverence of her beauty._

_            "Hojo…I know now what only death could teach me…"  She draws close to me, her eyes level with mine, only inches away.  "I know now the truth…"_

_            "I know now…that I love you."  _

_            And finally, the time for words passes away forever.  Silence encompasses our spirits and we are linked for eternity.  We do not emulate the actions of the Earthbound lover, for the spirit knows no lustful hunger.  All that exists is pure love, the desire of spirit, the bond that can never be broken._

_            I have fought for my love, and now she is mine.  Death's shadow has already passed over us, and never again can we be separated._

_………………………………………………………………………………………………………_

Finally!  My first fic completed!  All that's left is to read and review.  

For those that may be wondering, the idea for this fic was partially inspired by the movie 12 Monkeys, though that wasn't really a romantic film.  Both my story and the film have the same theme and somewhat plotline: You can't change fate.  Pretty boring theme, but it's the truth.  In terms of plotline, those of you who have seen the movie will understand the similarities.  

  


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